Target rope

ABSTRACT

The TARGET ROPE is a new and innovative target holder for shooting sports that enhances the pleasure of casual, informal, and rural target shooters, by reducing the effort and increasing the satisfaction shooters derive from their hobby. The TARGET ROPE employs modern synthetic materials to create the first new idea in target holders in decades. The inventor has conducted extensive testing under actual field conditions with a dozen or more witnesses. The shoot-through polyethylene sticks and the range of motion of the TARGET ROPE are an improvement over other target holders in terms of capacity, portability, durability and affordability. Capacity The TARGET ROPE has the capacity to hold multiple targets (sixty or more) on the standard twelve stick model. Portability The lightweight structure and portability of the TARGET ROPE, which weighs less than a pound, is so evident that the inventor feels obliged to demonstrate the durability of his product. The simplicity of implementation is almost instinctive to any coherent adult. Durability People who have observed the TARGET ROPE sticks resilience to projectile damage are astounded that such a slender stick can survive impact with projectiles wider than the stick itself. As evidence of the durability of the TARGET ROPE, the inventor has in his possession, a 6.35 mm wide stick that survived a nearly central piercing with a 7.62 mm wide hollow point projectile. This type of survivability has been demonstrated on every occasion of impact and has never failed. To date, no polyethylene stick has ever failed after more than one hundred intentional impacts and dozens of unintentional impacts. Projectile impacts cause damage to the sticks of the TARGET ROPE, but all impacted sticks have remained serviceable. These damaged sticks have been retained as substantiation of the durability of the TARGET ROPE design by the inventor. Affordability The simplicity of the TARGET ROPE lends itself to fast and simple manufacture and is very affordable. The intended price of the TARGET ROPE is twenty-five dollars in 2005.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The only possible cross reference could be to the Provisional Patent Application filed for the TARGET ROPE for which the file number 60/611741 was issued on or about Sep. 28, 2004.

STATEMENT OF FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

Not Applicable.

REFERENCE TO SEQUENCE LISTING, A TABLE, OR A COMPUTER PROGRAM LISTING COMPACT DISC APPENDIX

Not Applicable.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The TARGET ROPE is used in the shooting sports field of endeavor. The TARGET ROPE is a target holder that is lightweight, portable, versatile, and economical. The TARGET ROPE solves several problems that have annoyed the casual target shooter until now. The primary advantage of the TARGET ROPE is that one person can transport and position the TARGET ROPE, because the TARGET ROPE weighs approximately one pound. Some other portable target holder systems on the market weigh in excess of one-hundred pounds and need two men to safely move and position them. Unlike many earlier designs of target holders that utilized ricochet inducing steel in their construction, the TARGET ROPE contains no essential metal parts and is designed to move, give, or be shot through to reduce the prospect of ricochet. The design and selection of materials allow this obvious safety advantage while maintaining startling durability.

The TARGET ROPE is versatile in that it allows the shooter to select from a variety of targets. The TARGET ROPE can hold a paper target with common and widely available small, black, grip-style binder clips. The notches are sized to hold clay pigeons or the knotted ends of inflated balloons. To allow maximum economy the shooter can use the modified chain link hooks to suspend aluminum beverage cans beneath the sticks of the TARGET ROPE by using the TARGET ROPE sticks bottom notch. These modified chain link hooks can be set at various angles to either drop or retain the cans upon projectile impact. Furthermore, the TARGET ROPE can be positioned at any height the shooter prefers, to clear grass or ground obstacles. For example, if the TARGET ROPE is suspended between two trees, no further preparations are necessary beyond ensuring an adequate backstop before shooting.

The relative economy of the TARGET ROPE is demonstrated by its intended price of twenty-five dollars in 2005, when advertised prices for other portable target systems range from twenty-five dollars to well in excess of one-thousand dollars. The fact that the TARGET ROPE can use common household items, such as aluminum cans, for the actual target further enhances its economy.

The convenience of the TARGET ROPE is enhanced by its ability to hold in excess of sixty targets at once so that several people can shoot for a while between trips downrange to set up new targets.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The TARGET ROPE is, in essence, any number (usually 12) of notched sticks that are hung from a rope. In use, the TARGET ROPE is tied between two upright supports; i.e. trees, fence posts, etc. in the fashion of a clothes line in front of an adequate backstop. The rope and stick construction of the TARGET ROPE allows it to be hung at any height necessary to clear ground obstacles like grass or uneven terrain. The ability of the TARGET ROPE to be used at safe, yet unimproved impact areas complements its portability, economy, and inherently safe design. The versatile and simple design of the TARGET ROPE also allows it to utilize a great variety of targets. For example, clay pigeons, paper targets, balloons of various sizes, and aluminum beverage cans can be used. The versatility and capacity of the TARGET ROPE exceeds that of any other target system known to its inventor as of September of 2005. The TARGET ROPE has the capacity to hold multiple targets (sixty or more) on the standard twelve stick model, which weighs less than a pound.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF SEVERAL VIEWS OF DRAWINGS

The description needed to understand the drawing is provided on the drawing itself The drawing is supplemented by several additional photographs of the TARGET ROPE design and implementation. (See FIG. 1A)

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

To use the TARGET ROPE, a shooter must secure each ten foot end of the cord between two upright supports. For example, between two trees in the fashion of a clothes line in front of an adequate back stop with the notched sides of the stick facing the shooter and the un-notched sides facing away from the shooter.

The flexible plastic sticks can have their notches expanded or contracted for a more secure hold on the chosen target if necessary. The TARGET ROPE accessory clips can be used if needed. The small, black, grip-style binder clips can be used to secure paper targets, and the modified chain links can be used for aluminum beverage cans. Clay pigeons or balloons can also be placed on the notches of the sticks, if desired, by the shooter. The impact area should be cleared of all persons and damageable property before shooting commences. When targets are exhausted, the shooter can replace them repeatedly. A shooter should then clean up the target debris and repack the TARGET ROPE into the storage bag it came in.

The Stick Making Procedure

The current method of manufacturing a TARGET ROPE is to purchase a 4×10 foot sheet of polyethylene plastic that is 6.35 mm thick. The plastic retailer cuts the sheet down to 4 feet long×13 inch wide strips. The inventor finishes the cutting process with a band saw to create the properly sized sticks (6.35 mm thick, 12.7 mm deep and 305 mm high). Notches are then properly spaced and cut with a table saw, using a customized blade of 4 mm thickness, as shown on the drawing. Then a 6.35 mm hole is drilled to accept the string.

The manufacture of the TARGET ROPE at this time is accomplished with common woodshop tools such as a table saw, drill press, and band saw. The prospect of using larger, more expensive manufacturing processes such as water jet cutters will be explored in the future.

The Assembly Sequence

STEP 1 Cut and cauterize the end of a piece of parachute cord (the current rope). Measure off ten feet of rope to allow the TARGET ROPE to reach and encircle a tree and allow for room to position the first stick a few feet from the tree, so as to prevent damage to the tree.

STEP 2 All of the sticks are placed on the rope facing the same direction and bundled together by a large rubber band to keep them manageable.

STEP 3 All knots used in this product are triple over hand knots but are referred to from this point forward as “knots”. The first knot is placed at the ten foot location on the rope that has been measured and held with a pair of small vice grips.

STEP 4 A single stick is then released and moved beside the first knot.

STEP 5 Approximately one inch of cord is allowed to give the stick room to move, give, or spin upon impact with a bullet.

STEP 6 A second knot is then placed one inch away from the first knot to secure the stick.

STEP 7 Then another knot is positioned 10.5 inches up the cord further away from the previous knot. After the knot is completed, a second stick is released and secured by another knot one inch away.

These steps are repeated in this order until all twelve sticks are placed. Then another ten feet of rope is provided past the last stick's final knot and a cauterizing cut is made to release the now completed TARGET ROPE. The TARGET ROPE is now packaged in its storage bag complete with photographic instructions and the two sets of accessory clips. 

1. I, Glenn Brant Hensley, claim that I invented the TARGET ROPE, a versatile target holding device currently consisting of one or multiple sticks made of polyethylene plastic sticks suspended below a rope of parachute cord. The implementation of my invention is to tie the TARGET ROPE in a clothes line fashion in front of an adequate backstop. Clay pigeons or balloons can be suspended directly from the notches on the sticks of the TARGET ROPE. Additionally, paper targets can be clipped to the sticks of the TARGET ROPE with the provided small, black, grip-style binder clips and aluminum beverage cans can be suspended beneath the sticks of the TARGET ROPE with the provided modified chain link hooks. A distinguishing characteristic of the TARGET ROPE is the fact that it is made of plastic sticks and nylon rope. No other such target holder has been discovered after a detailed search of print and electronic media of the shooting industry. Furthermore, the TARGET ROPE is the only target holder that weighs less than a pound and operates by being suspended in the fashion of a clothes line. The TARGET ROPE is the only target holder versatile enough to hold aluminum beverage cans, various sizes of balloons, and clay pigeons, as well as standard size paper targets. The TARGET ROPE has the capacity to hold multiple targets (sixty or more) on the standard twelve stick model which weighs less than a pound. The plastic and nylon construction of the TARGET ROPE makes it virtually immune to the impact of stray bullets because it gives and moves upon impact, as opposed to the violent and potentially dangerous ricochets caused by projectiles impacting steel targets or steel target holders. The TARGET ROPE depends on its slim, compact design and incredibly durable materials instead of a mass of rigid metal or a bulky wooden frame, as is the case with common target holders. Furthermore, the ability of the TARGET ROPE to be tied above ground obstacles give it a wide range of applications in terrain that would obscure ordinary target holders that are set on or driven into the ground during use. 